Panayiotou murder: Two weeks behind bars before Siyoni can ask for bail

The alleged middleman in the murder of school teacher Jayde Panayiotou was on Wednesday remanded in custody until May 18 for his formal bail application‚ following his arrest on Monday.

Luthando Siyoni‚ 37‚ has made three brief appearances in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's Court this week.

Siyoni‚ who allegedly helped arrange the murder of the 29-year-old teacher in 2015 on behalf of her husband‚ Christopher‚ is facing a charge of murder. He was arrested at his home in Kwazakhele this week‚ nearly six months after his immunity from prosecution was revoked.

Siyoni‚ a former employee of Christopher Panayiotou‚ was the first to be arrested in connection with Jayde’s kidnapping and murder‚ after police received a tip-off.

He and Panayiotou discussed the murder on the infamous video recording that helped convict the businessman.

But when the trial started last year‚ he denied his involvement in arranging hitmen and claimed he had been tortured and forced to implicate his former boss.

Panayiotou was found guilty of Jayde’s murder in November last year. He is serving a term of life imprisonment.

- HeraldLIVE